Featured Individuals in "The Ballad"
Robin is identified as a subject in the foreground of a photograph from Nan Goldin's series, "The Ballad," breathing smoke. Kenny, positioned behind her, is Kenny Angelico.
Kenny Angelico's Background and Death
Kenny Angelico met Goldin in the early 1970s within the Boston drag scene. He subsequently relocated to New York, where he worked as a designer at Jungle Red Studios, an underground art and fashion space located in Tribeca. Angelico died in 1989 from AIDS.
Impact of AIDS on the Photography Series
The AIDS epidemic significantly affected Goldin's social circle during the period when "The Ballad" series was photographed (1973-1986). The illness caused the deaths of many individuals within her close friends group. The series serves as a documentation of this era, characterized by creativity, community, hedonism, and excess, alongside the devastation brought by the epidemic.